LOVE Match
by pages.of.altaire
Summary: She will be married in 3 months time and hasn't even had one proper conversation with her groom. He will be married in 3 months time and is making an effort to carve a warm white veil occasion out of a block of ice. And yet fate deems them to be a love match. Did the world finally tip over?
1. Married In Three Months Time

**A/N:** This is my first Sasuke and Hinata fanfic. I have to be honest, I was attracted to this pairing mainly because they looked beautiful together, and not because their personalities matched. In my point of view the best pairing personality-wise is Sasuke and Naruto, with Temari and Shikamaru bringing up the rear. However, I will do my best to make them so perfect for each other that it seems like they popped out of paradise. Please wish me luck!

* * *

She was to be married in three months time.

To the Uchiha no less.

Hinata sat at her dressing table, too stunned to move. She stared at herself in the mirror, her eyes silently asking too many questions. How? When did this happen? Why did her father agree to such an arrangement? And most importantly…

_What would Naruto think? _

It wasn't that Hinata was surprised that she was to be placed in an arranged marriage; her family was a traditional one, and thus upheld very conservative values. In order to assure that the Byakugan would continue to the next generation, suitable partners were carefully considered and hand chosen only by the best and the wisest people of the clan; even her father couldn't make this decision alone. In addition, the noble and royal bloodline must be maintained and thus cannot be tainted with commoner blood, and of course, prestige must also be called into consideration.

Hinata understood –really, she did- but she always thought that somehow she would end up with Neji-kun as her groom. Main-branch and side-branch marriage arrangements were very common, and it would assure the continuation of the Byakugan gene. And Hinata got along much better with Neji than with Sasuke-kun, whom she barely ever spoken to. So why wasn't Neji chosen over Uchiha Sasuke?

The invitations have already gone out to all the noble families in the Hidden Leaf village. Orders for food, flowers, and decorations were generously placed in preparation for the big day. Already the town was buzzing with the news of her engagement, and she even received a personal letter from the Hokage, congratulating her and wishing her the best of luck.

Ironically, Hinata thought that yes, she needed a lot of luck indeed.

Hiashi had given her a small package of leftover invitations, saying that Hinata was welcome to invite her friends to this white veil occasion if she so wished. The brunette thanked her father for his thoughtfulness, and decided a few familiar faces at her wedding would sound good.

The young girl sighed and moved to her desk. She still had the invitations somewhere in her drawer, and decided that she should probably finish them now instead of later. The invitations were elegant stationary with the Hyuuga seal in the background. The paper was accompanied with fresh white envelopes, specially designed with the Hyuuga family symbol. Again, her family was generous with their money as always.

All the teachers would be there anyways, so technically Hinata didn't have to worry about Kurenai-sensei. Kiba and Shino were all part of the noble families, so an invitation wouldn't be necessary for them either. But Hinata wrote her team invitations anyways; they are coming as her best friends, not as guests of the same prestige as the Hyuuga's.

She then hesitated for a moment on the next two invitations; what would Sakura and Ino think? True, Ino might have long gotten over her child crush on Sasuke, since according to her, she 'only liked him because of his good looks anyways, and now that they're older Shikamaru-kun is becoming hotter by the day'.

Later Neji ranted to Hinata about how hypocritical Ino sounded; wasn't she just replacing one pretty face with another? The heiress could only nod and remain silent; she didn't want to judge.

But Sakura-chan was another problem. Most likely, she still loves Sasuke-kun without her feelings ever being returned, and in that case, Hinata sympathized with her deeply; she knew that feeling all too well.

So the young woman wondered if an invitation would be something equivalent of a death sentence for the pink-haired girl. After all, the last thing Hinata wanted was to offend someone. Thus, she decided to write one for Sakura just in case, but put it aside for now.

It wasn't until she was finished with everyone else's invitations that Hinata finally got to Naruto's.

A feeling of sadness weighed heavily down on her; Hinata had purposely left him until last because she just couldn't face the fact that her destined groom was not _him_, but the wielder of the Sharingan. She could complain and say that it wasn't fair, but then again, as the next head of the Hyuuga household, it was one of her many duties that she must fulfill, willingly or not.

But despite her acceptance of her fate, Hinata couldn't help but still nurse that last shred of hope that maybe –just maybe- the pressure of her engagement would snap Naruto back to his senses that the Uchiha couldn't possibly make her happy, and that _he_ could and then the blond would barge in the middle of their wedding before they say their 'I do's', pick her up bridal style and run out of that damned house and-

_Tell her that he loves her. _

Hinata released a huge sigh and rested her head against the desk.

"Come now." She said to herself. "Those are hardly the responsible thoughts that you should be thinking."

As much as she hated to admit it, there really was no chance that Naruto could possibly like her back.

"Hinata-sama." A muffled voice called from beyond the door.

The young woman gave a startled squeak and quickly rearranged herself in her chair. She patted her hair and scooped up the invitations and tried to raise them into small piles. The brush was propped back up against its brush holder, a delicate little thing made out of porcelain that had camel-shaped humps on top.

"Come in." Hinata steadied her breath and folded her hands neatly in front of her, one on top of the other.

The rice-papered door slid open to reveal her cousin, Neji. He kneeled on the tatami mat outside her room out of courtesy, as required of the branch house people whenever they greeted main house residents.

But Hinata wasn't used to this. "P-Please Neji-kun, come in. There's no need to…" She trailed off and smiled.

Neji smiled in understanding. "I'll keep that in mind, Hinata-sama."

The brunette nodded.

The two sat in comfortable silence, as they often tend to do when together. He was one of the few people Hinata could do that with, the other being Shino. She didn't know why, but with people like Neji-kun and Shino, words weren't really necessary to pass the time.

That calming presence Neji emitted seemed to, without fail, embrace her in its gentle wings and cradle her to sleep. Hinata felt herself melt a little in his comfort, and couldn't help but relax in what feels like that moment right after a rainy day; clear, fresh, and somehow warm.

So she was surprised when her cousin decided to break the silence.

"Hinata-sama." Neji said, his voice serious but concerned.

"Yes?" She blinked curiously.

Neji's gaze turned a little tender at the sight of his dear cousin; she was a kind soul, and unfortunately he could not ever really forgive himself for hurting her in the past. But he was trying to make up for it.

"…I'm sorry." He looked down and tightened his hands into fists. He was never one for comforting words, but Neji thought that this was the best he could offer besides his presence. Hinata has been hearing words of congratulations all day, and Neji knew that despite her 'thank you's' and smiles she was feeling anything_ but_ happy and congratulated.

Hinata bit her lip and shook her head. "N-No, I'm honored. Really! It's just…so sudden. I'm not sure w-what is going on anymore." She fiddled with the hem of her sleeves, but then sighed.

"I am very well aware that this day would come, and I accept it wholeheartedly. As the next heir of the Hyuuga clan, I understand that it's my duty. But I…T-To tell you the truth, Neji-kun, I always thought that I…would marry _you_…"

"I thought so too." Neji smiled a bit sadly. "Granted, our relationship wouldn't be the same as other married couples, but you are…dear to me, and I will take care of you the best I can. But…"

The brunette gave a lopsided smile. "But you weren't chosen."

Neji frowned somewhat. "No, I guess not. For whatever reason…"

Both slipped into deep thought and worry as the silence blanketed them once again.

"Oh!" Hinata exclaimed and rummaged through her drawer. She pulled out an invitation completed with the envelope. "Before I forget, here is an invitation to my wedding."

Neji looked puzzled. "But…It's already protocol that I be there as part of the family."

The young woman shook her head resolutely. "I'm inviting you. I-I want you to be there, not because of protocol, but because you're my dear cousin and my friend."

The brunet smiled and pocketed the invitation. "Of course. Thank you."

"Hn!"

For the next few moments, Neji wondered if he should voice his thoughts. He already pretty much knew what Hinata was going to say to his concerns, and thus wondered if telling her would be necessary.

"What's the m-matter, Neji-kun?"

Well, he got caught, might as well say it now.

"I worry, Hinata-sama." Neji furrowed his eyebrows. "The Uchiha...He is proficient in what he does, but he is…cold and detached."

Hinata laughed softly. "You turned out alright though."

He blushed and looked away. "I'm afraid that you will be miserable."

"I'm s-sure that Sasuke-kun isn't as bad as he seems." Once again, ever the kindhearted soul who didn't judge.

Neji sighed. "Of course. Never judge a book by its cover." He smiled wearily at her. "But if the Uchiha tries _anything_, mistreats you in _any way_, I swear-!"

"Neji-kun…" Hinata laughed and reassured kindly. She covered his hand with hers. "I'll be alright."

Said male moved his hand to link his fingers with hers. "If you say so, Hinata-sama."

He didn't believe her.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**


	2. Naruto Is A Moron

**A/N:** Oh wow...Thank you for all the positive feedback! It's been ages since I've ever gotten this much attention! I feel so good right now! This definitely cheered me up, considering I'm going through a very nasty phase with my argumentative boyfriend. I will do this story justice for your sakes!

**Disclaimer:** (Because I was once again too stupid to notice that I didn't put one in the beginning) Kishimoto owns Naruto.

But he really needs to put more Sasuke and Hinata interaction into the story. It's sad to say that the only thing Sasuke's ever said to her was, "Shut up." How rude.

* * *

She has been sitting at Ichiraku's for almost half an hour now, and Naruto was nowhere in sight.

Well, technically, he didn't know that she was waiting for her.

Yes, Hinata memorized his daily routine, as creepy as that sounded.

The miso ramen she had ordered –Naruto's favorite- was slowly going cold. The noodles congealed and formed a dense mass while the fishcakes turned soggy. Hinata picked at it half-heartedly and sighed; she thought that she was hungry, but now she wasn't so sure.

Nevertheless, she ordered another bowl as an excuse to stay there longer. Naruto would turn up sooner or later; today was 'All-You-Can-Eat-Thursday' after all.

Sure enough, just as the chef set down her new bowl of ramen, a flash of bright orange appeared in her peripheral vision.

"Oi! Old man, four bowls of miso ramen! I'm starving!" And that voice! If Hinata could describe it in color, it would definitely be sunny yellow with a hint of pure blue.

"Goodness, you'll eat us out of house and home!" The chef's daughter laughed as she started on the noodles.

Naruto gave a foxy grin and sat down comfortably on the stool. It was only then that he saw Hinata next to him.

"Oh hey, Hinata-chan! What's up? You don't usually come to a place like this." His voice spilled delightfully in her ears like a clear brook on a spring day.

"Oh! U-Um, that's because I-I came t-t-to see you." She blushed and started tapping her fingers together again like she did when she was little, feeling a little disappointed at her own uncontrollable stuttering; it always seemed to come back and increase tenfold whenever she was around the blond.

Naruto's smile widened. "Really? What about?" He grabbed a pair of chopsticks as the chef gave him his order. Without further ado, he dug in like a ravenous wolf that was denied its meal for three days straight. Before Hinata could even open her mouth for a proper answer, Naruto was already finishing his second bowl.

"What? Didn't you hear? Hyuuga-san here is engaged!" The chef's daughter exclaimed. "Her family placed a huge order for our ramen! Over 200 bowls, can you believe it?"

"Eh?" Naruto shot up from his bowl of ramen. "You're getting married?"

Hinata was silently grateful that she didn't have to personally say it out loud. "A-Ah…Yes, i-in three months time…" She stuttered sheepishly.

The blond couldn't believe this. "_You're getting married?_"

"U-Um..."

Naruto was stunned for a moment, but then his smile widened; it shone brighter than the sun. "That's great news! To who?"

Hinata's fragile heart plummeted; Naruto seemed to be more excited about this than she did. After all these years, her affections were never even acknowledged.

'_Naruto, you moron.'_ She mentally cursed, quite surprised at herself for insulting the blond for the first time in her life. But she was pretty angry at his obliviousness; Hinata promised she would wait for him to come around and realize her feelings for him, but they were nearly in their twenties now. Even for a kind and patient girl like Hyuuga Hinata, all this waiting was getting ridiculous.

"Ah…" Hinata forced a smile and locked her gaze with her food, staring intently at the rosy fishcakes swimming in the soup. "N-Naruto-kun hasn't h-heard…?"

"Nope! I've been out on a mission, so I just got back." Naruto chirped. "So who is it, Hinata-chan?"

The girl decided to drop the bomb. "It's Sasuke-kun…"

Naruto choked on a piece of noodle and spat out the rest of his soup.

For a moment, Hinata was sure that the young toad sage was to be put to death by his favorite food; Naruto was turning blue in the face as he clutched his neck desperately with his hand. His eyes were teary and he hacked and coughed like the wind.

The brunette panicked and rushed over. "Naruto-kun!" She exclaimed worriedly, patting his back with surprising strength. But it didn't do much; that noodle really must like to be stuck in there.

'_Ah! I got it!'_ Hinata's face lightened. Putting her hand in front of her, the girl concentrated her chakra flow into her palm. "Gentle Fist, Sixty-Four Palms!" She proclaimed and slammed her hand against Naruto's back.

The noodle shot out of the guy's mouth, flew past the chef –just barely brushing his cheek- and landed neatly into the trashcan placed against the wall.

The Nine-Tailed vessel heaved deep breaths of sweet air as Hinata sat back down in her stool. Her hand went into her pocket and the bumpy surface of rice paper could be felt. She pulled it out carefully and gave it to Naruto.

"Here is the invitation t-to my wedding. I hope that you will be there, Naruto-kun." She smiled, albeit sadly.

The blond male accepted the invitation happily and whined how Sasuke never told him about this even though they were totally brothers. He then proceeded to gripe about how Sasuke was 'one lucky bastard' and that he would not be outdone, even when it came to their love lives and that Sakura better ready herself for a proposal soon. Somehow his one-sided rant about marriage soon turned into corny predictions about how Hinata and Sakura were going to have a lot of babies –like seven at least- and that they were going to compete in absolutely everything just because their fathers were idiots.

Hinata laughed quietly. She knew she never really had him, but the young woman comforted herself with the delusion that when Naruto paid attention to her, he was hers for that time being, however short it may be. And so Hinata hesitantly, but determinedly, let go of him and watched him drift away.

It was time that she gave up and faced the facts; Naruto would never see her as anything more than a friend. Sure, deep down she always knew, but it didn't stop her from having that little spark of hope. Conversing with him today confirmed that there was never a 'them', and so Hinata finally let that rock drop into the dark depths of her mind. But Naruto's happiness meant a lot to her, so if this was how it's going to be, then so be it.

As long as he was happy, Hinata would be happy too.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**A/N: **I remember discussing possible pairings with my boyfriend once, he said that Sasuke and Hinata together was gross and idiotic. The nerve he has! It might not be possible in the anime or manga, but they are rather beautiful together! He also said that all the female characters are noobs, which is not true either, considering that Temari once saved Shikamaru's ass. Damn sexist bastard. Yes, I am so hating him right now.


	3. Hinata, Step Up The Game!

**A/N:** I'm sorry if I made Sasuke turn out to be a cold bastard, but right now I'm just really depressed...and angry...and I want to kill a bitch. My love life is currently suffering through a frickin' natural disaster because my bf is giving me the cold shoulder due to an argument we had. Honestly, who does that nowadays? When we get over this and stop being in separate states, I will most certainly smack him for you all!

But you gorgeous people never stop to make me happy with your enthusiasm and your reviews! :) So here's the next chapter.

* * *

He had quite a handful on his plate today, Uchiha Sasuke mused as he walked down the street. On top of the wedding errands, he has to apparently work overtime at the office; Ito had, once again, messed up the paperwork and it required his attention. His fellow teammate seemed to do that a lot nowadays, Sasuke grimaced, and the Sharingan wielder was positive that Ito does it on purpose in order to get him alone. The gay man just couldn't take a hint that Sasuke was _no way at all interested_.

He walked into the tailor shop and wasted no time to ring the bell at the front counter, his mind still silently fuming at his very flamboyant and _very_ inappropriate co-worker. Last week, Ito had the nerve to slap his ass when they passed each other in the hallway, and in front of quite a few other respectable team members too.

Sasuke had to suppress the bloodthirsty urge to chidori the man through a wall.

"Yes, I'll be right with you!" A voice sounded from the backroom.

A middle-aged woman then appeared, looking flustered and annoyed with the interruption, but more so because of the hot weather. She adjusted the glasses on her bony nose and gave the customer a piercing stare, but smiled a little when she saw exactly who it was.

"Uchiha-san, what a pleasant surprise." The woman, Tonko, bowed respectfully. "What brings you here today?"

"Tonko-san, it's been a while." Sasuke nodded respectfully in greeting and then placed an ornate wooden box on the counter. It was of beautiful design, with a pair of phoenixes stretched out in mid-flight carved into the dark wood. Rubies and yellow diamonds were implanted into the surface, used for the birds' eyes and their tails. Tonko could tell that time had caused the box to fade quite a bit, seeing how it no longer had the shine it once had. But it was a beautiful piece of work nonetheless.

"What's this?"

The Uchiha didn't say anything, but proceeded to the lift the cover of the box. An exquisite silk kimono appeared, folded with neat corners and preserved with mothballs. The intricate patterns of climbing dragons on the collar displayed a gentle variety of hues under the light, and the intricate embroideries of water lilies and white dragonflies danced across the mermaid silk.

Tonko's eyes softened with a tint of nostalgia and sadness; this was perhaps her husband's finest work before he passed.

She lifted the kimono carefully out of the box, noticing the small Uchiha family crest stitched on the back of the collar. "He always had brilliant taste." The woman whispered.

"Hn. Your husband was a brilliant man." Sasuke cajoled the best he could; he wasn't used to seeing women cry and be all...vulnerable. "I'm...sorry for your loss."

Tonko huffed out a laugh, although there was just the slightest hint of tears at the corner of her eyes. "That was years ago, my boy! There's no use crying over past tragedies. Wherever he is now, I hope he's happy." She sniffed and pushed up her glasses. "This was your mother's wedding kimono and a keepsake, are you sure you want to use it?"

The brunet nodded in confirmation. "It would be appropriate. Hyuuga-san will come by later for a fitting, I presume. Please alter the gown for her."

The woman nodded and went over to hang the gown on a mannequin. "It's heavy." She remarked. "It will take immense effort to just put this on! Traveling in it will no doubt be taxing on a young lady."

Sasuke felt his patience level peak a little. "The wife of the Uchiha clan should not complain of a little weight. Wearing my mother's gown with the family crest is an honor."

Tonko gave him a withering glare. "_Sasuke_." She emphasized. "If I may remind you, your mother didn't wear this for the whole day either on her wedding day. Please be considerate of a lady's body."

To be honest, Uchiha Sasuke knew jack about women and their bodies, and was perfectly happy to let it stay that way. They were complicated creatures, cried a lot, and was generally a puddle of emotional mess. But Uchiha women were trained to be better than that; they were expected to be obedient, calm, and hardworking. And thus, Sasuke didn't see any reason for Hinata to change outfits. At all.

But Tonko did have one point; wearing the gown_ would_ be some kind of cruel and unusual punishment, especially in this tropical weather. He had carried the gown all the way to the tailor shop, and he had to admit that for a piece of clothing, the weight was rather troublesome.

Not that he had any trouble carrying it.

"Hn. Fine then." He conceded, a bit too coldly. "As long as she wears the traditional kimono during the ceremony, I don't care what she choose to wear for the rest of the day. Relay the message to her."

The tailor hummed in approval through a mouthful of pins.

Sasuke mentally made a check mark on his to-do list before heading for the door. "I still have business to attend to, so I'll be going. Put it on my tab." He ordered before stepping out into the sunlight.

* * *

It hurt.

"Please stay still, Hyuuga-sama. This is precise work!" The tailor begged through a mouthful of pins. "If I don't get this right, the elders will have my head!"

Hinata squeaked and winced as another pin pricked at her porcelain skin. "Yes, ma'am!"

The poor girl was red in the face from the suffocating heat; it was a very warm day. Granted, the weather in Konoha was always warm due to its tropical location, but today was warmer than usual. Or perhaps it wasn't the weather, but the five to six layers of white silk she was currently wearing as her wedding kimono. The heavy rich silk weighed down on her and Hinata felt her arms getting sorer by the minute as she held them up for the fitting. A little headache settled in the back of her head, and the brunette felt slightly dizzy.

It was miserable work.

Hanabi sat in the corner with a small cup of flavored ice in her hand. The red bean syrup glistened in the sunlight and caught Hinata's envious stares. The brunette woman's stomach grumbled and she suddenly remembered that she skipped lunch today.

Her little sister looked at her sympathetically from her corner; she wished there was something she could do. Coincidentally, there was also an electric fan next to her, and so Hanabi discreetly inched the device in her sister's direction.

"What are you doing?" The tailor frantically wailed. "You're messing up the pins! Put that back!"

Hanabi grunted in annoyance and regretfully put the fan back.

Hinata sighed and distracted herself by looking into the mirror. "The kimono is beautiful, Tonko-san." She praised quietly.

"But of course!" The woman, Tonko, agreed. "My husband's work is nothing but the best! This used to be Uchiha-sama's wedding kimono; such a beautiful gown on a beautiful woman. It was a shame she passed away."

Hinata did a double-take. "U-Uchiha-sama's?" She had no idea that she was wearing Sasuke-kun's mother's finest robes.

Tonko-san, however, did not seem to hear her. "Such fine mermaid silk and handiwork! Look at these embroidered lilies and stitches; have you seen anything better than such beautiful designs?"

"U-Um…Did Sasuke-kun…give this to you?"

The tailor blinked in confusion. "You didn't know? Uchiha-san dropped this off a few hours ago. He knew about you coming in for a fitting today and he insisted that you wear this for the wedding ceremony."

The young woman was stunned. "I-I thought my family was taking care of everything after what happened to him and his clan."

Tonko stared blankly for a moment and then burst out laughing with great amusement. "My dear!" She choked out in between chuckles. "If Uchiha-san was any less of a man, he probably would've sat back and let his fiancee throw all the money she wished out the window!" The tailor then let out a few more strings of laughter before she calmed down. "But alas! That's not how he was raised, and so that's not how he operates. Uchiha men all have a great sense of self-respect and pride, your 'Sasuke-kun' is no exception. You are very lucky." Tonko winked and went back to measuring.

"A-Ah. I see." Hinata blushed a hundred shade of red; she was to be married to this man very soon, and yet Hinata knew less about him than this working woman who sees Sasuke maybe only once in a blue moon. No wonder her family was being so lavishly generous; they weren't paying for it. A small part of her felt betrayed with her clan's actions, but in reality she couldn't pin all the blame on them; being lavish meant good reputation, and even if the elders didn't want to throw that much money on her, Hinata knew that Hiashi would. She was his precious daughter, after all.

And Sasuke even knew that Hinata was supposed to have a gown fitting today, and had made sure her needs were attended to. How could he possibly know?

On top of this, Hinata hadn't done anything yet with the exception of the invitations. But that hardly counted for anything in comparison to Sasuke's accomplishments so far.

"Oh!" The tailor suddenly remembered. "Silly me, I almost forgot. Uchiha-san also asked me to tell you that because the kimono is difficult to navigate in, you can change into a western-styled outfit during the party if you so wished. Feel free to pick out any materials you like; he will take care of everything." Well, it wasn't his _exact_ words, but it certainly did sound better than 'I don't care, just let her wear whatever she desires.'

Hinata bit her lip guiltily and looked down. There were those words again: "he will take care of everything."

But she didn't want him to take care of _anything_. Deep down Hinata was sick and tired of people always taking care of things for her, as if she couldn't do anything herself. But then again, they wouldn't know if she could even handle herself, since they never seem to give her a chance anyway. Hinata was sick of the fact that she was always being left out of things in general, and this particular feeling of _not knowing _about the details involving her marriage bothered her more than anything else.

She had just found out today that her clan was using the Uchiha inheritance instead of its own expenses, and that Sasuke-kun somehow always managed to be at least a step ahead of her. In addition she still didn't know why exactly did she have to marry the only living relic of the Uchiha clan, although reputation was probably a huge part of it as always. So...what else are they not telling her?

Hinata huffed silently and felt the fire within her grow in the form of anger and frustration. First she would have to thank her groom for his hardwork, but it was about time she start taking things into her own hands. This was _her_ wedding, and it _will_ go the way she want it to go. The Hyuuga heiress doubted that Sasuke actually liked throwing his money left and right; he may be rich, but Hinata knew Sasuke was anything but stupid with his money.

Hyuuga Hinata wasn't a pushover, nor was she a doormat that everyone could trample and wipe their feet on; it was time to step up her game.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**A/N:** Annnnnd that's a wrap! Review and love me! ^_^


	4. Expectations Met In All The Wrong Ways

**A/N:** Sorry for not updating yesterday. I had to go to work and was so tired that when I came back home I immediately conked out. And good news! My other half and I are all better now; we talked things out. :) I told him that I must smack him when we get back to college because of you guys and he seemed very confused. lol.

Enjoy next chapter!

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke was a man of many qualities and the epitome of fine upbringing.

He cared about his friends and was there for them, no matter how much he tried to appear nonchalant about it. Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi-sensei, and even Sai; together they made up the weight to the other side of the scale in order to keep him balanced and sane. Especially that Naruto, who Sasuke had -over the years- never failed to avoid calling him by his actual name, settling instead for something impish like 'blockhead'; it was much more of a 'bromancing' term than an insulting one, however. Sasuke owed Naruto his life, after all, and he always gave credit where the credit is due.

Sasuke was responsible and strict, but not unfair. He took his job as a ninja and as an ANBU captain very seriously. After all, being in the ANBU was in itself considered an impressive feat, but being the captain of a division of two hundred men was definitely no easy dish. But despite all the emotional scars, the sweat and the blood, Uchiha Sasuke pulled himself out of the mess and proved to himself and all those pitying bastards that he was worth more than just a handsome face and a famous name. When on missions he was precise and brutally logical in his decisions, and when he was in office he ran a very tight shift. But no one could really complain; Sasuke may be a slave-driver, but he got the work done fabulously.

He prided himself on his patience; not even Naruto's obnoxious attitude could make him snap, although there were times when Sasuke got really close to unleashing his rage onto the blond.

Yes, Uchiha Sasuke was a very patient man. Even when it was nearly three in the morning and he wasn't even halfway through with correcting the mistakes on the paperwork thanks to _someone_.

"Oh, darling!" Ito sang and threw his arms around Sasuke's shoulders. "You don't know how much this means to me! Coming in at a minute notice and staying so late. I must really mean a lot to you." He chirped into the brunet's ear. Personally, Ito loved messing with his captain.

"Get off, Ito." Sasuke monotonously demanded as he re-organized the paperwork from a_ week before_. "This was due last week. Why do you still have it?" He glared.

Ito smiled sheepishly and scratched his red locks. "I guess I forgot." He shrugged and then smiled deviously. "But if you want, you can punish me, _Sasuke_." He purred and rubbed his cheek against Sasuke's hair.

"_Get_. _Off_."

The redhead sighed dramatically and waltzed back to his work station. "Captain, you're no fun sometimes." He pouted and lifted his feet onto the desk. "You know what people call you behind your back? 'The Stiff'."

"That is none of my concern." Sasuke continued on with his work. "I have no interest in gossip, whether it's about me or others. Please get to work. At this rate you'll only be pulling my leg."

Ito frowned but followed the orders. "_And_ you're boring. I swear at the rate you're going you're gonna suck all the life out of dear little Hinata."

"Hn."

The redhead sniffed and threw a piece of paper in front of himself. "Unbelievable." He muttered and dipped his brush into the inkwell. "If you're this much of a dick how is any woman gonna like being in the same room as you?"

"I'm not expecting Hinata to hold any affection for me whatsoever." Sasuke replied nonchalantly. "This is an arranged marriage for the good of the Uchiha clan. She should have a clear understanding that mutual affections would not be possible."

"You're dead inside!" Ito cried out in horror and covered his heart with his hand.

"_Work_, Ito."

"_Un_believable."

"Hn."

* * *

When Sasuke returned that evening -or rather, morning- he was beyond exhausted. He caught a glimpse at the clock on the wall as he took his shoes off in the hallway, and grimaced when it read past six-thirty. He was supposed to wake up at eight-thirty for work, which meant that he had less than two hours to sleep.

He contemplated on sleeping for a bit, but then scratched the idea and decided to take a bath instead. Two hours of sleep indeed, he thought as he made his way to the backyard; he'll probably be even more tired than if he just stayed awake.

Sasuke stripped and headed out to the private family's hot spring in a towel, which he neglected before entering the water. It was a hassle to maintain, he admitted, but the herbs and the salts from the water was good for his health and he needed it. The brunet sunk into the pool for a bit, letting the water climb up over his nose. Sasuke briefly mapped out tomorrow's plan in his head; breakfast, head out at nine, work, then a lunch break which he rarely takes, more work, train alone, dinner, shower, maybe tea, and then go to bed. And the day after tomorrow will be the same thing, just like the rest of this week since he was suspended for missions; it was time for their once a month physical check-up, which was apparently required for everyone.

The man liked it when everything went according to plan, even if he could be quite the reflexive thinker when situations took a different turn. He was a man of routine and traditions, and it irked the brunet whenever someone (Ito) broke the routines Sasuke worked so hard to abide by. It was boring, yes, but the Uchiha _liked_ his life logical and without surprises.

He applied the same principles when he was choosing the next bride that would carry the heir for the next Uchiha, and was very specific -in other words, annoyingly picky- in his choices of women.

Haruno Sakura, for example, was definitely out of the list of potential mates. While her logical mind was probably very compatible with his, her temper definitely was a turn off. The unsuspecting flares of temper she displayed did nothing more but irk him in all the worst possible ways. And that head of pink hair? It was just too much. Besides, Sasuke didn't want to risk a bloodbath or a bitch fight between him and Naruto; the blond was really way too dead set on getting her to have the hots for him. And sad to say, Sasuke valued his friendship with the blockhead way too much to sacrifice it by marrying the wrong woman.

Ino, on the other hand, was just a big no. Everything about her was just..._no_. From her loudmouth attitude to her incompetence in being a shinobi and a medical ninja, someone of her caliber would surely drag the Uchiha name through the mud. And the Uchiha clan had already been through much, thank you.

The next one on the list would be TenTen. Personally, Sasuke thought her obsession to be one of the 'guys' was a little annoying; a girl was a girl after all, no matter how she tried to change her attitude. On top of that, she was a commoner who didn't even belong...well..._anywhere_; it felt like taking a stray off of the streets. Whether her genes were even strong enough to support the Sharingan was another issue in itself.

Hyuuga Hinata, however, was another story. The last time he checked, the girl was softspoken and didn't stick her nose into other people's business. Hinata wasn't vain like Ino, and was a very calm individual compared to Sakura. As the heiress to one of the most prominent families in Konoha, Hinata was no doubt very fitting to become a wife for the Uchiha clan and to carry on the Sharingan gene. She knew the traditions and rules required of high-class families, and while Hinata was a bit pathetic, Sasuke thought that he could potentially take advantage of this and mold her into the perfect wife to take on his family name; a woman who would be obedient, calm, and hardworking.

The brunet nodded to himself and leaned back against the rock. He made a good choice -a logical one- and Sasuke was sure that he would not be wrong. Hinata should be honored to be chosen, and he trusted that she would not fall short of his expectations.

Little did he know that for the next three months -and for the rest of his life- Uchiha Sasuke would get his expectations met in all the wrong ways by this same mousy girl who he thought was 'pathetic, obedient, and boneless'.

And he would be enjoying every minute of it.

* * *

**A/N:** Review? :) This chapter somehow...didn't turn out the way I wanted to. I can't put a finger on it though...


	5. Don't Forget

**A/N:** I swear...this is more trouble than it's worth. I literally rewrote this chapter five times before I was somewhat satisfied.

I've heard from a lot of reviewers that I shouldn't delay the Hinata-Sasuke interaction any longer, and I'm sorry for that. But this is truly the last chapter where they don't see each other yet! After this the real battle begins!

I'm sorry for such a long break. But I won't delay it any further. Here it is!

* * *

The next morning when Hinata awoke, she was all business.

The woman opened her eyes to half a dozen branch house members waiting outside her door, four of them had in their respective trays her outfit, a comb, a towel with a copper basin filled with warm water, and beauty oils. The other two were there to actually dress Hinata, which always made her feel a little uncomfortable. Usually she would protest, and would be met with relentless refusals until she gave in and just let them go on about their duties.

But not today; she wasn't in the mood.

"Thank you. You may go." Hinata said with finality when they put everything on the dressing table. The servants glanced at each other in confusion and wonder; something was...different about their master today. She sounded sure and confident with herself, like she finally realized what she wanted.

At that moment, Hinata almost sounded like Hanabi.

The servants were quite dazed when the door slid shut behind them, leaving all six maids to blink at each other stupidly in the hallway. They had no idea what had just happened, but they didn't have time to dwell on it; Hanabi was quite demanding in the mornings.

But now that they think about it, Hinata-sama was also starting to be quite demanding in the mornings.

* * *

The day had started off according to routine with the Uchiha heir.

After his bath in the hot spring, Sasuke had meditated for about an hour and a half before his mental clock called to him to get going. He then slipped into his standard ANBU uniform, brushed up on his complexion in the mirror, grabbed something out of the fridge, and headed out.

But when Sasuke walked into his office that morning, he didn't expect Naruto to suddenly pounce on him.

"_Teme_!" The blond sprung onto Sasuke's back and dug his knuckle into the brunet's skull. "You never tell me anything, do you? I'm your best friend, I should be the first to know! I should know before _you _even know!"

Sasuke winced and felt a red tick slowly growing bigger on his forehead. "Naruto." He gritted out. "I'll have you know that I'm on zero hours of sleep and had nothing but a bag of Sakura's food pills for breakfast. You do _not_ want to piss me off today."

"Oh, you bring fear to my heart, Sasuke." Ito mocked from his desk. "I'm torn between running away in fear and jumping you right there." He purred sexily and licked his lips. "Care to join us, Naruto?"

Naruto felt a chill run down his back and quickly steered his best friend to his work station before the brunet decided to unleash all hell onto the redhead. "So what's this about you tying the knot with Hinata?"

"It's exactly that, you blockhead. A_ marriage_."

"I know that! But why didn't you tell me? I looked like an idiot when people asked me about it! And it bothers me to not know about your every move. "

"_I_ know his every move, and trust me, Sasuke-kun here has got some _great _moves." Ito cut in, implying something very suggestive and inappropriate with his leer. Kiba face-palmed while Suzuki shifted uncomfortably. Hama growled in her throat and hurled her inkwell at Ito with full force. Unfortunately, the redhead was able to dodge it with little to no trouble, which caused the object to shatter gloriously when it met up with the wall.

"You were _away,_ Naruto." Sasuke completely ignored the specks of black ink that splattered everywhere. "And I take extreme comfort in the fact that you don't know my every move, blockhead."

"Don't get fresh with me, duck-butt!" Naruto hissed and narrowed his eyes at the other.

"Then butt out of my life."

"Are you looking for a fight?"

"You want to lose again, dobe?"

"What was that, teme?"

"Hn. Dobe."

"Bastard!"

"Naruto-kun, Captain! _Please_, calm down!" Sasuke's fellow teammate, Hama, pacified. "It really is too early for all this drama!"

The two men looked around and realized that Ito, Kiba, and Suzuki had completely stopped what they were doing and were blatantly staring at them with a mixture of annoyance, caution, and -in Ito's case- lust. Sasuke 'hmmph'-ed and sat down at his desk, masking the childish and sheepish look that would otherwise send all his teammates over the edge in a fit of horror and amazement. It bothered him sometimes, this childish side of him; somehow the brunet never lost it no matter how much he matured. Sasuke placed full blame on Naruto for this.

"Fox, report." He ordered stoically.

Naruto rolled his eyes at the ridiculous formality but gave it nonetheless. "Infiltration into Rain village for intel. Success. And _boring_."

"Casualties?"

"None."

"Intel?"

"A small troop of 500 men, no alliances, and so far they are quiet. I'm sure the Chuunin exams this time around will go smoothly, but we'll continue to keep an eye on them. Things have been crumbling ever since the death of Orochimaru. By the way, thanks for doing that for us." Naruto gave a toothy grin.

From his work station, Kiba snorted in disdain.

"Hn." Sasuke chose to ignore Kiba's rude outburst and wrote out every word in perfect calligraphy. "Good work. Shikamaru would appreciate this news.."

"No doubt. Maybe this time around he won't complain so much."

Suzuki scoffed, his face hidden behind a piece of paper. "Not likely, Naruto-kun."

The blond shrugged. "Worth a shot, I guess...Ito, what are you doing?"

The redhead smiled slyly and suggestively stroked Naruto's abdominal area. The kyuubi vessel didn't even know when he got so close. "Naru-chan!" He sang. "I haven't seen you for so long! We need to catch up! Are you free tonight?" He winked.

Sasuke sighed and pinched his nose as Naruto threw his hands up and screamed bloody murder, telling Ito to 'get the hell away from him'. He closed his eyes to block out the sight of the two idiots when they started chasing each other around the office, shouting something about Naruto's sexy manliness and how Ito could never just keep it in his pants. The brush in the Uchiha's hand threatened to snap as he tried to control his temper.

He really needed a mission to get away from all of this.

* * *

"105, 106, 107-"

"Warming up so recklessly. You'll run out of chakra before practice even starts." Akihiko commented lightly as he appeared at training ground 5. He looked at his teammate passively through the cascade of his silver bangs, his violet eyes dull and jaded.

"110, 112, 113-"

"No use talking to a cow, I suppose. Good luck digging your own grave, stupid." He continued and leaned against a wooden stump.

"Say what?" The boy shot up and pointed viciously at Akihiko. His wild black mane framed fiery gold-brown eyes as he bared his teeth threateningly. "I dare you to come over and say that again! Obviously I need to carry more weight since you're practically useless, you willow branch!"

"I'm only trying to look out for your well-being, since you obviously are incapable of doing that, along with everything else."

"I don't _need_ a emotionally crippled prick to fuss over me! You- ow!" The brunet, Kaien, winced and growled. "Woman, what do you want?"

Cho also swiped at Akihiko's head, which the boy easily dodged. "Would you two quit bickering at each other?" Her red eyes narrowed angrily. "I could hear the both of you outside the training grounds. For a bunch of men, you two are really bitchy."

Violet eyes looked at the girl and Akihiko tugged on her brown pigtails lightly. "And as usual, you're always the last one to arrive, piglet."

A tick formed on Cho's forehead and she gritted her teeth. "Don't you get started with me, Akihiko. I'm not in the mood today."

"And neither am I."

All three students whipped around to see their teacher standing on the wooden post. Hinata had her arms crossed, and her violet eyes, usually light and kind, were now stormy violet and very stern. Her style had gone through a slight altercation over the years; instead of the baggy lavender and white shirt in her teens, Hinata had changed into a long-sleeved mesh underlining topped by a form-fitting V-neck black shirt with three-quarter sleeves. She had on black capris, similar to what she wore back then, except now the brunette had grown nicely into them so that they hugged the curves of her thighs and calves. On her feet were the same black modified ninja pumps Hinata had when she was sixteen, and her hair was now in a high ponytail with its usual signature bangs.

The Jonin jumped down gracefully from the training post and turned to her students.

"I see neither of you had wasted any time to claw at each other's throats." Hinata sighed. "You don't listen to me at all, do you?"

Because she was a Jonin, Hinata was in charge of her own three-man cell. Team Hinata was what they were called, and together the three ninjas were probably the most dysfunctional family anyone has ever seen. There was hardly a time when all three of them were _not_ fighting with each other, and yet ironically it was exactly this rivalry they had with one another that made them know each other like the back of their hands.

And Hinata was thankful for that. _Really_, she was.

Kaien, Cho, and Akihiko visibly winced; they rarely disappointed Hinata-sensei, but when they did they would always feel horribly guilty. The three looked down at the ground sheepishly and kicked at the dirt beneath their feet. "Sorry." They muttered in unison, which caused the brunette to sigh and smile slightly.

She hoped that the hokage would give them a mission soon; at this rate, the children will end up killing each other.

* * *

Sasuke wasn't very surprised when Inuzuka Kiba had left early once again. Ever since word got out about his engagement to the Hyuuga heiress, Kiba had been mostly distant and unusually snappy when spoken to. The dog nin had left his finished paperwork on his desk before he headed out, which Hama collected before putting it on Sasuke's desk.

The Uchiha wasn't a fool; he knew that Kiba didn't particularly like him to begin with, and now that he 'stole' his girl Kiba probably liked him even less. But Sasuke was far from feeling sympathetic; life always had its fair share of lemons, and right now Kiba was choking on a particularly large one.

"Ouch." Ito whistled as the door to the office slammed shut a little louder than necessary. "Cold."

Hama glared at the redhead and frowned. "Captain, about Kiba-kun..." She hesitated and played with her light violet hair.

"Hn. What about Kiba?"

"He hates you." Suzuki muttered quietly behind a piece of paper.

"Suzuki!" Hama scolded; the man really was too blunt sometimes. "You really ought to watch what you say!"

"No, he's right." Sasuke looked up briefly. "Kiba isn't very happy with me right now, but there is nothing I can do about it. Quite frankly, as long as he does his work on time and completes missions I really don't _need_ to do anything about it."

"But captain-"

"Life rarely makes predictable turns, Hama." The Uchiha continued as if she didn't say anything. "And as humans we must learn to pick up the pieces and move forward. Sulking and feeling depressed won't get you anywhere. Now please hand in your paperwork, it's almost time for me to leave."

Hama frowned but did as she was told. _'You should really follow your own advice, Sasuke-kun.'_ She thought and got ready to leave. _'It'll at least give you a peace of mind.'_

* * *

Hyuuga Hinata was a careful woman.

Throughout the years, Hinata had never once forgotten anything; she might be physically clumsy at times, but her mind was sharp and she was proud of that. When around people the brunette was always walking on eggshells, it seemed. Hinata was nice to the people she cared about, and was distantly courteous to those who she didn't. She constantly weaved in and out of sticky situations effortlessly without offending anyone, and was always there when one of her friends needed a shoulder to lean and cry on. The brunette never judged or gossiped about others, seeing how karma usually came back to haunt those who do. In short, Hinata was always that person in the middle, the one who was neither here nor there, and did just enough so that balance would remain undisturbed.

But it seemed like she wasn't careful enough.

The young brunette watched in surprise and mild horror as Kiba's fist clenched around the delicate envelope before stuffing it in his pocket.

"K-Kiba? What's wrong?" She stuttered a bit and reached out to her best friend.

Much to her surprise (once again), the dog nin turned away from her outstretched hand and shuffled back to the Inuzuka compound. "Nothing." He muttered. "Congratulations on your engagement."

Hinata felt hurt and confused; she hadn't expected Kiba to react positively to this whole thing, but she hadn't expected him to push her so rudely away either. Inuzuka always felt the need to inject his two cents in absolutely everything with a passion -it was part of his charm- so to see the hyperactive brunet so dejected and distant really threw her for a loop.

"Kiba!" The brunette ran up to him and clasped his arm with her pale hands. "You don't have to pretend with me. I know that you don't like this, but you're my best friend! I need you there...t-to help me get through with this wedding. I know I'm being incredibly selfish to ask this of you, but I don't think I can do this without you there with me."

Following Hinata's outburst was a moment of complete awkward silence. Hinata suddenly felt very conscious of the fact that she still had Kiba's arm in a death grip, but was too afraid to let go for the fear that her best friend would walk into the house and shut the door in her face. Kiba's eyes were hidden by the shadow of his bangs, making his emotions impossible to read at that moment; Hinata found that rather unnerving.

"No." It was barely a whisper, but the Hyuuga heiress caught it.

She froze and felt ice creeping into the vessels of her heart. "Pardon?"

"No, Hinata. You're not selfish. " Kiba whispered and turned to look at her. Hinata silently gasped at the tears that fell from the sharp canine eyes. "You're kind and smart, a bit oblivious sometimes, and deep down you are stronger than you could possibly think. But you're not selfish. No, not you."

The young woman stood there completely dumbfounded as the dog nin reached out to stroke her cheek with a calloused but gentle hand. Kiba's eyes were glazed as if lost in his own world as he continued to mutter her praises, and his gaze was ever so tender and _loving_. Hinata slowly realized with a horror that she had stepped into dangerous territory; a patch of land which she had never even known existed, but because of her it had flourished without the brunette's knowledge.

"Oh, Kiba..." Hinata's lower lip trembled a bit and she reached out to wipe his tears. She never knew that while _she_was busy chasing after the wind, someone else was getting left behind like a lonely leaf on the ground, forever trapped by gravity. "How long?" The brunette whispered.

"Since the first day of training." Kiba answered sheepishly.

Hinata widened her eyes. "Well, why didn't you say anything?" She exclaimed incredibly.

The young woman remembered that day; it was drizzling, making everything annoyingly sticky. Kurenai had, regardless of the weather, held practice outside. She worked them to the bone that day and was totally merciless with her training session. Kiba had complained that out of all people they just had to get a 'She-Devil'. Kurenai-sensei had heard this of course, and it had resulted in endless laps around the training grounds for all three of them. Hinata had a difficult time keeping up with her teacher's new training regimen, and was constantly having trouble; she was only an average ninja, after all, and perhaps she always will be nothing but average as a fighter.

But she refused to be left behind; not by her father, not by her sister, and certainly not by her teacher and teammates. Hinata had pride and self-respect buried in her somewhere -she truly knew- and was always dying to look for a way to bring that out. And so even if it meant that while everyone else gave a hundred percent and she had to give a hundred and twenty, Hinata would gladly let herself to bleed out until she found her true self.

Kiba had looked at her funny when she explained this to him, and at the time Hinata didn't think much of it. People always looked at her funny, and Kiba was no different.

But now she had this strong suspicion that she _completely _misinterpreted.

The dog nin smiled crookedly at her with an endearing yet sad look in his eyes. "Well, I totally would. Except you were all about Naruto back then, so I really didn't get a chance."

The brunette looked down guiltily and swallowed. "I...Oh...I'm so so sorry, Kiba." She whispered.

It was ironic, almost laughable, that the wielder of one of the most powerful eyes in the world could be so blind.

"What do you have to apologize for?" Kiba laughed weakly. "I was the loser who fell in love with you."

Hinata opened her mouth to speak, to assure him that the loser here was not him but _her_. But the Inuzuka had anticipated this, and shook his head at her.

"The moment I fell in love with you, I knew I was screwed. I couldn't snap out of it, but at the same time I didn't _want_ to snap out of it. To be honest with you, I always knew that there could never be an 'us'; I wasn't that naive. You had your plate full back then with your family and whatnot. And then there was Naruto...there couldn't be any room for me."

The dog nin snorted at himself. "I touched fire and got burnt, and yet every time I kept coming back. I always knew I had a role in your life, Hinata, but it wasn't the role I wanted. However, with time I've come to tentatively accept that; you needed a friend and a pillar of support, not a lover and a complicated relationship."

Hinata blinked and tightened her grip on his arm. "Then...my engagement..."

Kiba then laughed shakily and scratched his head. "It came as a harsh blow. I was just getting ready to move on, and then I heard that you were engaged...to the Uchiha out of all people. Suddenly the world tilted once again and I found myself back in that hole I dug. I was furious and feeling all kinds of bitterness for myself; someone who deserves you the least got you, and yet the one who wants you the most has to give you up. But I guess life is funny that way sometimes, don't you think?"

Hyuuga slowly nodded. "Yes, it certainly likes to screw with us." She cursed softly.

Inuzuka blinked and smirked. "This is new. Hinata never swear." He teased lightly.

"Eh? Oh...I guess time has a way of changing things."

Kiba frowned and looked over the top of her head, his gaze far away. "I guess...perhaps even a bit too fast." He muttered to himself. "Hinata...I...really didn't want to tell you all this today. I'm...sorry if I made things confusing for you. I know that you're not exactly having the time of your life right now either, so if I screwed anything up..."

Hinata shook her head quickly, her thin eyebrows were pinched together as she stared at her best friend, contemplating on something. The receiver of the stare squirmed a bit as he waited for her to pass down judgment. His blood roared and rushed to his head and the man felt a bit dizzy from the anxiety.

Quite honestly, Kiba wasn't sure what he wanted to achieve by telling Hinata all this. True, he owed the truth to the brunette, but it was all so pointless, really. He had managed to keep all this crap to himself for years, occasionally sharing this bit of himself with Shino, but on the whole _no one_ knew that Inuzuka Kiba was utterly infatuated with the Hyuuga heiress. So what was he doing still standing here for? Hinata couldn't possibly do anything now; she was engaged. The only path open for him was rejection and a gentle let-down at best, but the sound of that left a bittersweet taste in Kiba's mouth. On one hand, he could take comfort in knowing for a fact that they would be impossible and put his mind and heart at ease at last. But on the other hand, this rejection could, ironically, force him back into that hole for a longer period of time.

It was a stupid and unplanned move with an inevitable outcome, he knew. But he hadn't counted on his best friend to suddenly burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Inuzuka asked, annoyed. "Oi! Hinata! Quit laughing, I'm serious here!"

"I'm sorry! It's just..." The young woman chuckled. "The depressed look doesn't suit you at all, Kiba-kun."

"...Eh?" The dog nin exclaimed. "I think I pulled off the angst quite well, thank you! But that's not the point here!"

"You're right, you're right." Hinata smiled softly and shook her head. "But you shouldn't apologize for what you feel. They're your feelings and you should take pride in them, even if others might not agree with you. Thank you. It feels wonderful to be loved by someone who cares for you." She placated and gripped his hand. "You're a great person, Kiba, and I regret the fact that I missed my chance and I'm sorry for putting you in so much hurt."

"We'll just have to work extra hard then, and one day, we'll find the people who will bring us completion. It may take a lot of searching and a lot of pain, but happiness is worth it." The woman smiled sadly. "And you deserve someone who sees you better than I can, Kiba."

The man closed his eyes and exhaled; this was it, he supposed. The rejection was done and over with, and he was surprised that he was taking it so well. Growing up made him wise up a bit, and Kiba knew that sometimes in life one had to force oneself to swallow some lemons. This particular one was difficult to stomach, but it had a hint of a sweet aftertaste despite being sour. Life must go on, and so should he.

Kiba looked at the woman in front of him and immediately felt drawn to her eyes. He loved Hinata's eyes because he saw her for who she truly was when he stared into those lavender orbs. It was ironic, however, that the brunette couldn't do the same in return for him.

"Hinata, before you go..." He muttered and stepped forward.

Then suddenly, before the woman could react, a pair of tan arms encircled her and pulled the brunette toward a firm chest.

Hinata blinked as she was pulled flush against her best friend. She could feel the heat radiating from the scarred skin and hear the rhythmic sound of his heartbeat, strong but sad. And when he talked, Hinata felt the gentle deep rumble of his chest.

"I'll go to the wedding for you. It's gonna hurt, as always. But I'll go because I want to see you move on. That way, I can do the same. Though to be honest with you, losing to the Uzumaki would've felt immensely better than losing to that ice prick of an Uchiha."

"K-Kiba-"

"Don't say anything." His sharp voice held the undertone of a warning that pierced her soul.

"Don't...say anything...not now, please. I want you to be happy, but just...promise me that you won't forget..." _About me._

Hinata circled her arms about the dog nin's waist and squeezed him wordlessly. _I promise_, she whispered in her mind._ And thank you. _

Not far from where they were standing, a pair of coal black eyes flashed red.

* * *

**A/N:** I wonder who saw them! The next chapter is where Hinata and Sasuke will have their first face-to-face conversation! Hope it goes well...or not?


End file.
